I had finished most of the house
work, lunch time had past by. I made my self a sandwich with some left overs
from the fridge. I went to the lounge room with mylunch and cup of tea in hand.
I relaxed in one of the large comfy chairs.

My mind drifted to my school days and how I
met the man who eventually became my husband.

I went to school at Darwin High
School. The school was all abuzz that morning but
let me start from the beginning.

The morning broke with a dull dreary
look, it had been raining the night before and the cloud had not had time to
dissipate. The window gleamed with a silvery sheen as the last of the water
droplets ran down to the window sill.

“Glenda” mother cried “your
breakfast is ready; don’t be late for school now.”

I dawdled down the stairs still a
bit sleepy I sat down in my usual place at the table and slowly spooned sugar
over my cereal. The milk seemed like it was in slow motion as it dribbled from
the plastic bottle into the bowl.

“Glenda have you heard the news,” my
mother said excitedly, “the exchange student is arriving today from America.”

“And that’s exciting why?” I asked.

“Well” said my mother “he will be
billeted by the Masons next door.”

“Yeah, yeah” I said as I put my head
down and finished eating my cereal, “well I have a bus to catch I’ll see
later,” I said as I walked through the door.

My father sat on the veranda reading
the paper and his eye peered above the top of the paper. I knew exactly the
look that was on his face and I couldn’t even see all of his face. You see we
lived in suburb that consisted of a wide range of ethnic peoples and my dad was
terrified that I would hitch up with a Greek or a Turk as a boy friend. He was
even more scared that I would end up marring one the Ethiopians or Sudanese
boys who lived further down the street.

“Hello Glen” The ever recognisable
voice of Bruce Mason filled my ears as I meandered past his house. Bruce was a
small boy for his size but he was as smart as tacts.

“The exchange boy has arrived” he
exclaimed excitedly.

“Oh” I said “then where is he” I
looked around and all I could see was a road and houses on stilts. “So what is
it about this boy that has every one agog?” I asked Bruce.

“Well” said Bruce he’s from America,”
Bruce said with a hint of glee in his voice.

“And I am supposed to be impressed?”
I replied.

“Well” said Bruce you’ll see,” I
knew he was being predicably cryptic but I did not bother pursuing his childish
game.

The bus arrived with a gush of
brakes and a puff of diesel fumes; I got on and found a lone seat near a
window. With the same whoosh and flush of fumes the bus broke into the traffic
and we were soon at school.

As we got off the bus there was an
air of anticipation complimented by a hubbub of noise and chatter. Students in
their grey and white uniforms were clambering and huddling on mass forming a
military like square. A teacher arrived and shouting “Ok you brats get to your
classes now.” I looked up as the populus square dispersed liked the red sea,
and I saw a tall well built dishy looking boy. He looked lost and as I was
about to approach him the teacher took him by the arm and led him to the
office.

I was sat in class listening Miss
Davis droning on about some insect or other, to which we were supposed to study
the details of as a home work assignment. Miss Davis’s droning was interrupted
by the door opening and then entered Mr Brahms and he was followed in by the
dishy boy I had seen when I arrived.

“This is Corey Washington” Mr Brahms
said in his gravely mediocre voice, “he is an exchange student from America and I
hope that you will make him feel welcome here.”

I rested my chin in my hand with my
elbow propping them both up on the desk, this kid was cute. My eyes followed
him as he found a seat and sat down in a row across from where I sat. I pined
as I longed to meet this Adonis that had ascended into my class.

The lunch break came along and I
decided to introduce my self to this charmer.I finished my sandwiches and bottled water; I looked up and saw two boys
confronting Corey. The two boys were well known bullies at our school, and they
appeared to be harassing Corey. Luckily the bell went for the afternoon
classes.

Mr Johnston was fidgeting at the big
desk in front of the class, he had an exacerbated look on his face and he
looked up directly at me.

Glenda Jones” he roared, Mr Johnston
always roared I think he didn’t know how speak in a normal voice. I sat up
startled and saw him wiggling his forefinger.

“Go down to the store room and bring
back twenty five copies of the Catcher in the Rye. I meant to organise this prior to lunch.”
I got up from my seat and was about to walk out of the room when the booming
voice said, “Washington
go with her and help I don’t think she handle twenty five copies on her own.”

I was both excited and annoyed to
think he thinks I can’t handle twenty five copies, I just shook my head.

I opened the door with the key that
Johnstone had given me, my hand all a tremble. The key was sticky and did not
want to turn that lock. The Cocoa brown hand
of Corey Washington grasped my hand and the key turned as easy as if it were
lubricated with butter.

We stood back to back picking books
of the shelf when the earth rumbled. It shook violently and as the floor weaved
from side to side the two shelves near the door came crashing down. There was
another rumble and the door swung shut. There was I in a closet of a room with
a tall well built black American exchange student.

“Are you alright?” he enquired his
voice was thick like treacle with a strong southern American twang.

“Yes” I replied “are you alright?”

“I think so” he replied “but my foot
hurts” he said.

We were in the room for seemed to be
ages, and the heat and humidity began to take effect.

“Man it is hot in here” Corey said
he leaned forward and removed his shirt, “come and sit here he said patting the
concrete floor next to him. I shuffled over to where he sat and he placed a
well contoured arm around my shoulders.

I took another sip of my tea when
the phone rang “its mother here” the voice boomed out of the ear piece. “Your
step father and I have come for a visit and we’re coming to see you.”

“Oh I guess it’s alright” I said.

It must have been about an hour
later that they arrived “come in” I said “can I get you a cuppa.”

“Why thank you” my mother said.

I had not seen them in about six
years and they did not answer the invitation to our wedding.

We sat on the lounge reminiscing,
when I looked up the wall clock “oh my I gasped “I had better get something out
for our dinner.”

“No need dear” my mother said.

“No” I said “I meant my husband and
my dinner” I said with a chuckle.

“So you are married?’ said mother.

“Yes I said to a wonderful…” just
then I heard a familiar voice.

“Honey I am home,” it was an in joke
that Corey liked to play when he arrived home from work.

I stopped what I was doing “mum this
is Corey, Corey this is my mum and step dad” I said.

My mother just glared at me in that
unforgiving way that mothers do when the speak without using words.

“Glenda your father would be
horrified” with that she rose from the lounge and took Stephan by the hand and
walked out.

Corey looked blankly at me and said
“what’s all that about?”

“It’s a long story I tell you over
dinner my shout” I said and we both walked out and went to Phillies for dinner.